V.C. Andrews
The Casteel Series
*Spoilers*
Heaven is a story of loss. When her mother died giving birth to her, her father Luke lost a piece of his heart that day. He was never the same. He settled down with Sarah, and living with his parents Annie and Toby, they had their family.
Growing up with her siblings Tom, Fanny, Keith and Jane (nick named Our Jane), Heaven struggled being the only one who looked nothing like either parent.
Tom, the loving brother, and her best friend. They did everything together - mostly because Pa wasn't around and Sarah was too busy cooking, cleaning and complaining about life. Heaven helped out as much as she could, but she also had school.
Heaven loved school. She was good at it. It was her escape from the evil reality that she faced every day. She tried to get her siblings interested in it too, but Fanny was too busy with boys, and Keith and Our Jane were too distracted by their hunger.
One day, a new family comes into town. Logan Stonewall is perfect in Heaven's eyes. Wary of him, due to her embarrassment of her family, she tries to keep him at bay until she knows his intentions. Logan cannot help but be in love with Heaven though. Even with Fanny flaunting herself around all the time, Logan and Heaven manage to find a small piece of paradise in the cold shadows of the Virginia mountains.
After tragedy strikes the family, Heaven and her siblings are left to fend for themselves. Just when they think they cannot continue, Pa comes in with a surprise. He has found new homes for each of the children. They are to leave immediately.
Our Jane and Keith end up being together, as the couple agrees it would be heartbreaking to tear them apart.
Fanny is bought by the local reverend and his wife.
Tom is bought by a local man in the community.
Heaven is last to be bought. Two couples come to see her... Pa gives her a choice. She chooses the younger couple: Kitty and Cal Dennison.
Out of the frying pan, and into the fire.
Heaven goes to live with Kitty and Cal for a few years. Kitty makes Heaven a slave, of sorts. She is to do daily chores and she is to be clean at all times (physically and spiritually). Eventually, Kitty begins to spend less and less time focusing on Heaven, once she learns the rules of the house. However, since she is not allowed to have a social life, her only friend becomes Cal.
Tragedy strikes again, and Heaven is finally in a place where she can go and find her mother's family... What will happen next?
(Next: Dark Angel)
This book is a powerful one. There is so much raw emotion that comes off the pages. From the short time we are with Heaven, she must deal with hardships and obstacles that no one, much less a child of 14-18 should deal with. You cannot help but fall into the pages of this book. From the beginning, the author draws you into the Willies with such description that you can smell the summer rain and you can feel the chill in your bones. Make sure you have the next book ready to go, as the second you put this one down, you will be picking "Dark Angel" up!
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